Japan has introduced a one-year prison term and tough penalties for online insults and cyberbullying. The change came into effect on Thursday as a move to curb online harassment and abuse.
The new Penal Code significantly increases the fine for online insults to $2,200, which was previously below $75 or only a penalty of detention for 30 days. The statute of limitations on insults has also been revised from one year to three years.
The escalation in penalties came after Hana Kimura, a 22-year-old professional wrestler and cast member of the popular Netflix reality TV show Terrace House committed suicide in May 2020. Kimura had reportedly taken her life after receiving endless hateful messages online.
Two men from Osaka and Fukui were found responsible and were fined 9,000 Yen ($66) each for insults posted about the wrestler before her death. However, a lot of people argued that the penalties were too low, and thus came the update in legal charges for insults.
In October 2021, Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa was advised by The Justice Ministry’s Legislative Council that penalties should be tougher. The proposed amendment was submitted during this year’s National Diet session and the bill was finally passed at an upper house plenary session on June 13.
Furukawa said at a press conference earlier this week that:
Implementing stronger punishments was significant as it demonstrates the legal assessment that (cyberbullying) is a crime that should be severely dealt with, and acts as a deterrent.
He also stressed that the move would not act as “an unjustified restriction on freedom of expression.”
American culture on full display. There wasn’t a single nation on the planet where online chats or posts would be considered a crime or worthy of torture till the Patriot Act. This was a typically Americanist law reflective of their society and mindset. That’s how laws are usually drafted. Based on the values and culture of that particular society. There hasn’t been a single nation that came after it that went down this path. And that’s because there are no such societies on the entire globe, where Americanism is acceptable. Japanese are usually considered a very docile and peaceful people. After the Tsunami, the Japanese didn’t behave like the Americans, who go on a rampage after the smallest of blackouts or like after Hurricane Katrina. Even Pakistanis, who practically live without power half the year thanks to successive vermin-like governments, don’t behave with such rowdiness and incivility. Americanism, as defined by the Patriot Act, is as unique as the incidents of 1945 in Japan. Unlike the Americanists, no other nation used Nukes, except for the Chernobyl act of sabotage that again, Americanists were responsible for. Pakistan is also becoming an Americanist nation, even though we call it Fascism, colloquially at home, while not fully understanding the term. The correct term to use is Americanism, a term that can be used interchangeably with bloodshed, genocide, misery, torture, and just sheer gore as depicted in their Netflix shows and films. Wonder why families allow their children to watch their movies and play their games? Do we want the kind of incidents that take place in their country every other day, with the most recent being the 4th of July? Let them sleep on it and enjoy their artificial American dream. But we can’t. Their games and films are incompatible with our nation’s youth bulge. Our politics and society is violent enough as it is. We cannot have them shape the minds of our young people as they’ve done to their own.
Only if they can apply here and fine these online tweepers who abuse left and right.